Substance Abuse Signs & Symptoms

Not everyone experiences substance abuse the same way. Understanding the signs, symptoms and effects of addiction is an important step toward recovery for your child.

Understanding Substance Abuse

Learn about substance abuse

When a person continuously uses drugs and/or alcohol despite adverse effects that occur as a direct result of that use, that individual is likely battling a substance abuse problem. In addition to alcohol, a person with such a problem may abuse cocaine, heroin, prescription drugs, marijuana, synthetic marijuana, methamphetamine, or other substances that have the potential of causing a great deal of harm to a person’s life. Substance abuse often precedes addiction and dependence, yet should still be treated as a serious problem that requires care in order to prevent additional adversities from occurring.

Substance abuse statistics

The prevalence rate of substance abuse among young people in the United States is estimated to be around nine percent for youth over the age of twelve. This percentage accounts for those young people who have used or abused drugs or alcohol at some point in life. Unfortunately, researchers are expecting this number to increase.

Causes and Risk Factors

Causes and risk factors for substance abuse

The development of a substance abuse problem is believed to be influenced primarily by a person’s genes and environment. In addition to other risk factors, the following explains why and how an individual can come to abuse drugs and/or alcohol:

Genetic: Among addiction experts in the field, it is a widely accepted notion that a person can have a genetic predisposition to substance abuse. This conclusion was made after it was discovered that substance abuse, addiction, and dependence is commonly found among individuals who share similar genes. Therefore, a person with a first-degree family member with a substance abuse problem has an increased risk for abusing substances at some point in life as well.

Environmental: The onset of a substance abuse problem can be influenced by a number of environmental and circumstantial factors. Youth who lack parental involvement or supervision have an increased risk for experimenting with and eventually abusing drugs and/or alcohol. Additionally, young people who are the victims of trauma, abuse, neglect, bullying, or other forms of victimization have a high probability of developing a problem with substances as young people often lack the necessary tools for coping with these types of stressors.

Risk Factors:

Low self-esteem

Low self-worth

Difficulty achieving academically

Low socioeconomic status

Exposure to violence

Being the victim of a crime / abuse / neglect

Exposure to trauma

Lack of caregiver involvement

Poor parenting during formative years

Peer pressure

Exposure to chaos

Easy access to substances

Family history of chemical dependency or mental illness

Personal history of mental illness

Lack of coping skills

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of addiction

The telltale signs that a person is abusing drugs and/or alcohol can be vast. Depending on the substance that is being abused, along with the longevity and severity of the abuse, the indicators of a chemical dependency problem can sometimes be observable to those closest to the person engaging in this type of behavior. The following behavioral, physical, cognitive, and psychosocial symptoms are those that infer a person is abusing drugs and/or alcohol; symptoms that could warrant therapeutic intervention in order to cease the individual’s use:

Behavioral symptoms:

Poor coordination

Missing school

Not fulfilling roles or responsibilities

Increased conflict with others

Social withdrawal or isolation

Change in peer group

Unwarranted outbursts of emotions

Hyperactivity

Lethargy

Declined participation in things that were once enjoyed

Engaging in risky behaviors

Physical symptoms:

Shakiness or tremors

Diarrhea

Slurred speech

Headaches

Lack of hygiene

Presence of injection sites

Weight loss or gain

Bloodshot eyes

Sweating

Nausea

Vomiting

Insomnia or hypersomnia

Cognitive symptoms:

Hindered decision-making

Psychosis

Delayed thinking

Confusion

Poor concentration

Hallucinations

Delusions

Inability to reason

Impaired memory

Detachment from reality

Psychosocial symptoms:

Agitation

Inability to experience pleasure

Changes in temperament

Drastic shifts in mood

Irritability

Depressed mood

Increased anxiety

Effects

Effects of substance abuse

The extent of the effects of a substance abuse problem can be far-reaching across several areas of a person’s life. Carrying the potential to negatively impact an individual’s physical health, academic performance, occupational functioning, quality and quantity of interpersonal relationships, and overall wellbeing, the following effects are those that can, in fact, be avoided if a person seeks the necessary treatment to end his or her addiction:

Addiction

Dependence

Discord among friends and loved ones

Academic failure

Onset of a mental health condition

Exacerbation of symptoms associated with a mental health condition

Compromised immune system

Possibility of exposure to viruses, such as hepatitis or HIV/AIDS

Homelessness

Interaction with law enforcement

Malnutrition

Memory loss

Cognitive impairment

Damage to the central nervous system

Self-harming behaviors

Suicidal ideation

Suicide attempts

Elevated risk for certain cancers

Damage to the heart

Heart failure

Hindered lung functioning

Stroke

Coma

Inability to acquire or maintain employment in adulthood

Overdose

Death

Co-Occurring Disorders

Addiction and co-occurring disorders

It is not uncommon for abusers of substances to battle a mental health condition at the same time. Sometimes substance abuse can trigger the onset of symptoms or worsen symptoms of a preexisting mental illness. The listed disorders are those that are frequently diagnosed in those who are grappling with chemical dependency concerns:

Anxiety disorders

Depressive disorders

Posttraumatic stress disorder

Schizophrenia

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Another substance use disorder

Bipolar disorder

Eating disorders

Withdrawal & Overdose

Effects of Withdrawal and Overdose

Effects of withdrawal: Chronic abusers of substances are likely to experience physiological and psychological effects in the event that these individuals abruptly stop using their substance(s) of choice. These effects are referred to as withdrawal and are known to be unpleasant and painful. The following symptoms are examples of withdrawal and could require detoxification or other medical attention if they occur:

Muscle pain

Bone pain

Psychosis

Suicidal ideation

Nausea

Vomiting

Intense cravings to use drugs and/or alcohol

Elevated levels of anxiety

Depressed mood

Profuse sweating

Seizures

Chills

Tremors

Panic

Paranoia

Effects of overdose: Sadly, those who abuse drugs and/or alcohol remain at risk for overdose should substance-using behaviors occur more often and with increasing amounts of a given drug(s) or alcohol being used. Below are signs that infer a person is experiencing an overdose; signs that suggest medical intervention is needed quickly: